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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · race · wave · bay · content · spring · snap · rock

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rock — music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — the amount
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. race — humankind
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — happy
  18. race — a contest
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spring — the season
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com